Heal Me
by black7kunoichi
Summary: After an incident, Lucy returns three years later with courage to face her fears. However, despite her efforts, she didn't think that she will count on a blonde dragon slayer to help hold her hand during this time of understanding her feelings and to also help Fairy Tail see for who she is. NALU Fanfic! Please read!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys!**

 **I've recently release a new story. I genuinely hope you get to read it!**

 **But enjoy this one - ish.**

* * *

Lucy mustered up the courage to force a smile on her face. As each second passed, her heart was breaking slowly - bit by painful bit. There wasn't much she could except stand on the sidelines and watch the entire scene unfold before her eyes.  
Besides the fact that they had overcome one of the greatest battles known to Fairy Tail, they still managed to stand their ground and proudly wave the Fairy Tail Emblem on its post to mark the greatest achievement.  
Well - it all went crashing down just a few days before the night party that Mira had set up to celebrate the guild's success.  
She and Natsu weren't on... _friendly_ terms as of lately. Despite their little fights now and then, the latest argument really had taken a toll on the celestial mage who hadn't had the greatest time isolating herself in her apartment and locking everything to avoid contact with a certain dragon slayer.  
It only started as of late when Lucy thought that maybe there was something, some kind of spark, happening between the both of them. She felt the chemistry pulling them together and somehow, she knew that this time, she was ready to kick her pride aside and take their friendship to the next step. It was about time too.

That was the plan - until Natsu started distancing himself from her. Every attempt to try and be alone with the fire mage, the blonde watched dejectedly as he turned heels and escape. Even trying to talk to him and starting a conversation based on the missions that she looked forward to - he only mumbled ever so quickly before making a dash to Gray or someone else.

Eventually, they spoke but in large settings. Every time she did something, he would only say a sentence that could just ruin her forever. The first comment, she thought it was purely a thought mentioned. She had finished fighting her opponents, who she had underestimated but nevertheless, gave it her all and managed to complete her share of enemies. At this point, she reduced her dependence on Natsu, as she was wanting to show how much she had improved. The Dragon Slayer jumped beside her as she was lying with her back against a tree trunk. He sat beside her and let out a chuckle. Instantly, the blonde turned her tired eyes to form a weak glare,

"What's so funny?" He shook his head in response before turning to face her fully with full interest in his eyes. Under his heated gaze, Lucy inwardly squirmed,

"Nothing - you just kinda reminded me of Lisanna." Her heard throbbed painfully. Before the tears could fall, her body moved on its own. Lucy stood up almost awkwardly, mumbled a line of words before escaping into the forest, limping in the process. Unfortunately, the dragon slayer followed shortly after - in the short time she had, the celestial mage had wiped away the tears and cleaned her face of any teary evidence,

"Are you okay?" Natsu asked, eyeing her worryingly but Lucy looked up to force the growing sadness down,

"I'm fine - I just wanted to thank my zodiac friends before it slips my mind. A-and I wanted to do it alone. Y'know - key holder to key thing." Regardless of the bullshit that slipped out of her mouth, it seemed as if fire mage accepted the excuse. The pink-haired teen sighed disappointingly whilst folding his arms.

"Shoulda just told me. I would have left you to do your thing."

* * *

Eventually after that, the comments just kept on slipping now and then.

"If only you could transform into a bird, Luce."

"You're pretty heavy, might need to tone down on the meat. Hey - I heard Lis started this doing diet thing. You should do it, Luce."

"If only you had shorter hair, then maybe it wouldn't get all tangled in knots."

Lucy tried her best to fight off the nagging feeling in the pits of her stomach. But at one point, thats when all the bundled up feelings that she saved in her heart became undone and not even she could see how their friendship would ever remain the same.

She had walked into Natsu's house in an attempt to find the dragon slayer. After waiting for him at the guild so that they could begin another mission, his absence clearly rang red flags - especially after waiting the entire afternoon. The blonde mage knew that Happy had left with Wendy and Charle and they only would be out for a day. Natsu? He still never showed up. Even the night before, he had failed to show up in the middle of the night at her apartment, regardless that even though Lucy kicks him out, she still left the windows unlocked every night for him. Yet last night, he didn't show up at all. Not even in the morning. At times, Lucy would probably kiss the ground for this daily blessing, but everything around the two just felt off.

Lucy silently was grateful that Natsu never locked his doors so eventually, she slipped silently into the house and her annoyance spiked to the roof.

There he was sleeping in his hammock without the slightest care in the world. Usually, she would accept that he's tired and probably head back to her apartment and wait until further notice. But somehow, the nagging feeling inside her just made her mad. She went over to his hammock and shook him awake. Eventually, the sleeping dragon slayer awoke with tired eyes, getting up but still leaning on his elbows.

"Lisanna-? Oh, hey Luce." Something tore inside of the blonde mage. Thankfully, there was a nearby chair in which the celestial mage stumbled numbly backwards and collapsed onto the wooden chair.

"Luce-?"

"What do you want from me, Natsu? Why are you being so cruel?" Lucy mumbled underneath her breath but the dragon slayers' ear picked it up sharply. Rubbing his eyes from its tired haze, he turned on his hammock to face her.

"What's wrong? What happened?" His worried voice reached her ears and her heart throbbed painfully,

"Aren't I enough? Tell me, Natsu. Will I ever be enough?" Lucy inwardly kicked herself as the tears started building up, however, she refused to show him to tears as she used the back of her sleeve to wipe them away. At this point, the fire mage jumped out of his hammock and dashed to kneel in front of her. He gathered her small hands into his large ones and rubbed his thumbs soothingly over hers.

Inside, Lucy wanted to draw her arms back but couldn't find the strength to do so - instead, she just sat there with tears falling freely down her face. She really done it this time.

"Luce - talk to me. What wrong?" At this point, the blonde slowly lifted her head and stared through the tears to see the mage in front of her. Was it worth it?

"Tell me, Natsu. Are you just using me?" The said pink-haired mage looked stricken. His jaw dropped at the mere mention of "using" and his mouth started sputtering,

"Using? Luce- where on earthland? What are you talking about? I can never do that to you - Mavis what are you-"

"Just tell me Natsu." Lucy interrupted. Wiping away the last bunch of tears before they fell. Instead, hot anger started to dwell within her the more she watched him.

"Am I not enough for a partner? Not enough that you never failed to remind me of the characteristics Lisanna has that I don't. Am I not enough?" This time, Natsu was shocked beyond his sleep. The sudden accusation had definitely woken him from his slumber and his caress on her stopped abruptly.

"Luce - why would you bring Lisanna into this? Where is this come from-" Immediately, Lucy shoved his hands away, stood up and stomped her way across to the door. A hand reached out to grab her wrist, in which she snatched it out only to glare at the male who attempted for her wrist again and managed successfully,

"Get the hell away from me." Lucy snarled, with full anger in throttle and nothing was holding back. The reciever of the harsh sentence still stayed firm.

"No. Not until you tell me why you've gotten sour back there. I still don't understand this thing with Lisanna." The blonde attempted one more pull on her wrist but it was still in vain. Looking up, she glared with all her intentions and anger.

"So many times Natsu, so many times. You had done nothing but compare me to Lisanna. My abilities, my characteristics, my hair, my clothes and my lifestyle. Am I not enough for you?" The tears started welling and her vision became blur,

"Am I not good enough to be your partner? I just feel so... Neglected, Natsu. I feel that you only used me to fulfill that emptiness within you - to fill that void when Lisanna died-"

A resounding echo bounced off the walls and the red hand imprint on Lucy's face told the silent story. Immediately, a hand encircled the blonde mage who had her face turned in shock. Natsu was no different either - his hand stayed deadly still in the air, afraid and waiting.

"How dare you." The newcomer spoke with intense hate. Lucy opened her mouth to speak but the words just wouldn't come out. The tears once again built in the corner of her eyes and some fell over scathing red mark. Natsu unconsciously had released his grip on her wrist, letting his hand fall limply to his side.

"Lucy- I'm... What happened there...my hand.. Luce-oh.."A sharp object was raised against Natsu's throat. Another person had appeared and another as well. Three of them was standing between him and Lucy.

Scorpio's teeth clenched. Never before had his master been so openly struck by anyone, not even by her own guild, let alone, her own best friend. As he held the stinger drenched in deadly poison to the Dragon Slayers neck, he would gladly thrust the weapon into the fire mages heart over and over until his body rotted.

"That's enough."Aquarius commanded. She stood beside Scorpio with heavy killing intent dripping around her. Behind, Leo scooped the celestial mage into his arms - who still remained shocked.

"Look - I can explain-! I just-"

"Natsu Dragneel." Aquarius firmly interrupted, signalling the other two to leave with their master in Leo's arms. Just as quickly they had appeared, they disappeared with Lucy. The fire mage watched the entire thing unfold before turning his attention back to the zodiac spirit,

"Where are you taking her?" Aquarius raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid you no longer qualify to have that question answered anymore." The mermaid spirit responded, lifting a finger to create a water vortex.

"What?" The zodiac spirit turned her back on the fire mage.

"What you've done, Natsu Dragneel, was the utmost disgrace on not only the Spirit Realm, but on Fairy Tail's reputation." As she started heading towards the vortex, Natsu darted in front of her, therefore stalling her movements.

"Please. I need to explain everything to her. I need to-Mavis please- it was a mistake. I didn't mean to do..." the desperation in his eyes screamed for a second chance but the mermaid still maintained her usual composure. She leant down to the fire mage and evidently, his words failed him once again.

"I think that is quite enough, Dragneel." And quickly, water came out of the vortex to contain the dragon slayer in a water bubble, in which just the inside had air but the magic emitting from the water caused his powers to nullify in a small time.

"Lucy is someone that I vowed to protect. When she started associating herself with Fairy Tail, I passed that responsibility to you - granted, I thought she has finally found something - no, someone that she can finally depend on." Slowly, her blue eyes looked down with sadness,

"Unfortunately, I thought wrong and it was a choice that I deeply regret." As if something shocked her, Aquarius raised her head and turned to look at the fire mage with pity,

"Lucy Heartfilia will never return to Earth land nor Fairy Tail until three years. That, is something I vowed." With a quick change, the water vortex swallowed the zodiac spirit, therefore removing the water bindings on the dragon slayer.

* * *

And here she was. Three years later. Sitting in the deep comfort of her apartment. Enjoying the similar atmosphere when she first moved to Magnolia. Nostalgic memories flowed freely, but Lucy was quicker to clear her mind.  
Admittedly, she was quite nervous to step outside. A few hours ago, Leo had moved all her things from the Spirit Realm to her apartment, already settling the rent bond with her previous landlord and also paying for practically everything. Lucy lifted her brown eyes to the window as her senses started picking up something approaching - but a bird perched itself just on the edge of her window-sill.

"I guess I should probably get out of my shell." Lucy chuckled nervously, before standing up and getting ready to head out to the guild. After her shower, she stepped out with the towel tucked neatly under the fold at the top of her breasts.

"Man that feels good." Lucy smiled warmly, walking over to the closet and pulling out a set of clothes. Ten minutes later, she brushed her hair one last time before slipping her keys into her pockets.

Her long hair flowed at the low dip of her back. Lucy had considered many times to snip the blonde locks but after many thoughts, had decided to keep it.

Lucy wore a plain grey dress shirt, with a black sash that encircled her waist. Her arms was taped heavily to hide the marks inflicted during her trainings in the past three years. She slipped her brown boots on before heading out the door.

"I'm sure everything will be the same."

She couldn't do it. Despite standing just outside the gates, she still couldn't muster the strength or the courage to take another step. With this in mind, she turned around and made her way back to her apartment. What was she thinking? Walking into the guild with a smile on her face as if three years didn't happen at all. Lucy felt her legs wobbling before it eventually gave way. However, just as quickly, arms had circled around her waist to catch her during her fall.

"Whoa - careful there, princess." Her heart throbbed painfully. It almost felt like it could just pound its way right through her chest and onto the brick ground. With uncertainty, she raised her eyes to look at the person who hooked their strong arm around her petite waist.

"S-Sting?!" The named dragon slayer looked down with surprise. Immediately, he broke out into a full grin.

"Hey! Lucy-was it? I didn't even recognize you." Carefully, he assisted the stellar mage back onto her feet before gently releasing her from his hold. The celestial mage let out a nervous laugh.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment for now. What are you doing here in Magnolia?" Lucy joked. But it was far from the truth. In all matter of fact, she didn't recognize herself either.

"I was just leaving actually - had some illegal business to do. What are you wearing-? You look like a civilian." Sting noted, taking a full view of the girl before him. Suddenly, his eyes caught the way her eyes saddened and he instantly knew something was wrong.

"Who was it?"

"H-huh? Who is what?"

"Don't play games with me, Heartfilia."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Who made you cry?"

Lucy's ears perked up and just as quickly, she forced a smile.

"W-what are you talking about?" She lied through her teeth, pushing a strand of blond hair behind her ear.

"Come." The light mage reached over and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers together.

Light appeared beneath their feet and before Lucy could comprehend what was happening, the guiding light soared with them following closely behind - following in utter silence. Eventually, they settled on a plain grass field just on the outskirts of Magnolia. Both mages seated themselves respectively on the rocks that barely stuck out but was competent as a make-shift chair.

"Talk to me, Heartfilia." Lucy looked at the dragon slayer before turning her head down. It was really no use. After all this time, she still couldn't hide the sadness in her heart. Even after three years of pure hard training and strict discipline from Aquarius - she was still hopeless.

"There's nothing to talk about." She reached out and plucked a dandelion. Dancing ever so gracefully in the wind. Eventually, the breeze picked up and blew the little parts of the dandelion - which almost painfully reminded Lucy of how much wind she had been through to eventually not being able to withstand it.

There was a sound of shuffling and boots walking on grass. Suddenly, her view became filled with piercing shade of blue and blonde - he was kneeling before her with one leg propped up to lean on. Taken by surprise, she reached out to push him away but his hands grabbed hers and held them.

"You don't need to hide it. For once, Heartfilia, you don't need to be strong. It's okay." Her vision was beginning to blur out. Her sight could only make out splotches of colours and shapes,

"Y-you - I don't know what you're talking about."

"The tears, Heartfilia. The mask. The pretence. I can see right through them all."

Unconsciously, she turned her head to blink the tears away and force the fresh droplets down. But the back of her head was grabbed and pushed into a solid yet warm chest. The hand started rubbing soothing circles on her neck and then made it way to her back.

"Its okay to cry, y'know. It's okay." The lump in her throat seemed much harder to swallow. Without realizing, her hands reached up and grabbed the back of his shirt - for comfort? For closure? Out of fear? She didn't know.

"I'm not even sure if I'm doing this properly - but I know that if Dragneel saw us, hell will break loose." He felt the blonde go stiff immediately after the mention of the fire mage.

"Hey, are you okay?" There was a mumble of words before the grip on his clothes tightened dangerously. He made a move to look at her but she stubbornly tightened her hold.

"Please."

They sat there for a few minutes before Lucy pulled away and sighed with defeat. With a heavy heart, she revealed her feelings and insecurities. The entire time she spoke, the dragon slayer held her in silence and listened to her.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I've never felt so... Lonely. In a big, loud and rambunctious guild filled with disaster, it was as if I'm the only one that didn't fit in this perfect chaos."

* * *

 **Annnnd thats the first chapter done. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Well, at certain parts.**

 **Nevermind. I'm just making things worse.**

 **Keep out for the next chapter. I shall be releasing the next on Friday.**

 **Cheers!**

 **B7K**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys and welcome to the second chapter of this story.**

 **I'm so sorry, I had forgotten to mention my disclaimer. I don't own Fairy Tail, the characters or the plot. I do own my imaginations seeping from my fingers and onto the keyboard.**

 **I will be releasing a new story that is based on a true story, true events that have occurred but of course, with the characters of Fairy Tail.**

 **CRAP - That means I have to keep up 3 stories** **simultaneously** **.**

 **No biggie.**

 ** _HUGE SHOUTOUT_ : ****I'd like to thank the person that was the first to review this story (and might be the only person who reviewed TBH). It meant the absolute world to me. If anything, I wish I could just shower you with gratitude and take you out and shower you with food. Honestly.**

 **Without further ado, I introduce to you: Chapter 2**

* * *

 **Preview:**

 _"I don't know what's wrong with me. I've never felt so... Lonely. In a big, loud and rambunctious guild filled with disaster, it was as if I'm the only one that didn't fit in this perfect chaos."_

* * *

Lucy blinked her eyes until it adjusted to the painful disruption of the night light on her bedside table. Taking note of the dark outside her window with the curtains barely covering the streetlights, the blonde mage slowly pulled herself up until her back leant lazily against the headboard of the bed. Lifting the bed sheets, she mentally noted that she still wore her same clothes from the same day. Satisfied, she leaned her head back onto the headboard and sighed audibly.

The memories from three years ago still haunted her. Especially in her sleep. Sometimes it would get worse. At one stage, she had woken up from a nightmare in which Fairy Tail had completely kicked her out for good. The tears were evident on her pillow and she had to explain everything when Loki heard her snuffling during their training camps.

"You're awake?" A voice echoed from the right side in which the celestial mage let out a shriek before grabbing the sheets to her chest to calm her scared heart. Her nostalgic memory train sliced from the intruder.

"Sting - Mavis, you scared me!" The celestial mage exclaimed, attempting to calm her nerves. "What are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to do - something?" The light dragon slayer chuckled lightly before striding over to her bed and settling himself on the other side. A few minutes had passed as he was too busy getting comfortable. Lucy glared as he calmly took his boots off, his shirt and propped himself up.

Usually, she would gladly deliver a blow to a certain fire mage for intruding into her apartment. But after a long thought and reasoning, she decided to be the bigger person and act maturely. Without shedding any blood nor getting any bloody stains on her bed and walls if she did actually kick the light dragon slayer.

"I don't even remember giving you permission to help yourself to my bed. Let alone, my house." Lucy added, glaring at the oblivious male that finally settled in.

"Let's just say that I've decided to help you with your problem with Fairy Tail." Lucy blinked. Her mouth had fallen open and she stared at the blonde mage unspeakably.

"And you care because?" The celestial mage questioned, stepping out of bed and attempting a lazy stretch. The blonde male stretched as well, putting his arms at the back of his head and pushed himself back to the headboard.

"Because for a princess, you don't deserve to be mistreated like this." Sting replied. His electric blue eyes followed the celestial mage as she rummaged through her closets and throwing a set of clothes on the bed. It wasn't as if he was lying, he really wasn't. He was just tired of seeing the celestial mage being underestimated by a lot of people. Including himself. And for the first time, he wanted to be there to protect her from those wanting to see her fall. Even if it meant going against a certain fire mage.

"That's really cheesy, Sting. Don't ever say something like that again. It doesn't suit your character." Lucy commented, grabbing her fluffy white towel and making her way to the bathroom before stopping.

"Sting," The named male didn't reply. Instead, he chose to watch her think with a frown on her face. "Thanks. For hearing me out." There was a sound of rustling sheets, then a loud thumping of feet padding against the floorboard before the light dragon slayer squeezed himself in front of the celestial mage, who was internally fighting the blush that was creeping up her neck and making her cheeks warm. She mentally kicked herself. This was Sting Eucliffe. All dragon slayers were as dense as rocks - apart from Wendy of course. If anything, he wouldn't even know how cliche he's putting himself to be.

Unknown to this phenomenon, Sting leaned down put his palms on Lucy's face, staring intently into her brown orbs. Noticing the red hue settling at the tip of her ears and slightly on her cheeks, he brushed it off as signs of anger

"Look Lucy, I didn't stay to hear you out." The blank stare that Lucy had on her face was immediately replaced by a frown,

"Then why did you-"

"I stayed because I listened. You needed someone to help you, so here I am." There was a brief exchange of silence before the celestial mage playfully pushed the dragon slayer out of the doorway with a small smile on her face without looking up. Her bangs covered her eyes so Sting couldn't tell if she was mad or what.

"I gotta shower. Afterwards, we should go eat. My shout." Finally looking up and giving the dragon slayer a determined grin.

"By the way, get the hell out of my apartment before I kick you."

"Wow. What a way to kill the mood. I'm already feeling butterflies."

* * *

They sat at a quiet area away from the city. It seemed like a park but without the fountains and flowers that usually occupy the landscape. Where they sat down was just slightly over a hill, with a range of forests a few acres away. The night sky was clear with stars shining their brilliance over the land and the air was crisp and clean.

Lucy tugged on her brown dress shirt that rode up to her thighs. She had dispensed her jacket next to her and began to unpack the food they had bought. Sting had just returned from roaming the forest for some wood, before neatly stacking them and lighting a fire. After settling the utensils respectively down, the blonde mage turned to glare at the dragon slayer.

"When I said my shout, I meant that we are going to settle in a nice, comfy setting indoors with proper chairs and I was going to pay for the both of us." The celestial mage muttered, reaching over to pass the take-out to the slayer sitting beside her. She didn't understand. In her mind, she envisioned for the both of them to sit in a restaurant, order some food, eat and then do whatever comes next.

"It's too boring. I much prefer the outdoors." Sting replied, not waiting a moment to dig into the food. As soon as they had left Lucy's apartment, he had tugged her hand to the nearest barbecue stall, ordered some things until his wandering eyes also tugged her to a ramen stand. Carrying two bags of different takeouts was fun for the dragon slayer. It somewhat felt like he could do it again, of course, not without Lucy commenting now and again about his appetite,

"Of course you do." Lucy replied, although she did reach over and began helping herself. They ate in complete utter silence. After his third helping, Lucy decided to start questioning her companion. It wouldn't be a big deal. It was only the beginning of starting a conversation and for old times sake, what else would they do beside it ramen and barbecue food by the fire outdoors?

"So Sting," Lucy began, pretending to think by putting her index finger on her chin. This definitely earned the attention of the light dragon slayer, who had paused mid-chew on a piece of beef. His eyebrows were raised and it seemed like forever since she finally began to continue her sentence, "I was just wondering where Lector was. I mean, surely you both do things together." The blonde male blinked, chewed a bit more before swallowing the contents into his hungry belly.

"He went with Rogue and Frosch on a mission. And like I mentioned it before, I'm doing illegal business here in Magnolia - so yeah." The male replied, taking another bite into the juicy tender meat.

"And how are we going to get this to work?" The celestial mage questioned, looking down and playing with the small leftover with her chopsticks.

"It's simple really." Pausing to chew his food. "We just have to make all of them see you once and they will be hooked. But it needs to be something wild." Sting replied, savoring the food in his mouth. "It needs to be something that they do." Whilst doing so, his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened with burning realization.

"Wait - that's it!" The sudden exclamation frightened the celestial mage slightly. Lucy put her food down and waited eagerly for the dragon slayer to swallow quickly, choking a bit in the rush, coughing and then finally giving her a large grin.

"A mission! We are going to do a mission together!"

There was a moment of silence besides the sound of firewood crackling on the earth. Lucy closed her eyes and took dangerous breathing exercises whilst keeping a calm face. The urge to kick the dragon slayer was almost unbearable. Instead, she settled for smiling crookedly regardless that the corners of her lips were twitching and her hand was itching to throw the nearest firewood.

"And how would that do anything?" The dragon slayer chuckled evilly at her question. After hearing him, the celestial mage feared for their plan.

"For a smart bookworm, you're pretty slow. But then again, you're blonde." Twitch.

"...We're both blonde, you idiot."

* * *

After going through the plan for the umpteenth time, Lucy sighed before straightening her attire once more before they head out. After her failed attempt yesterday, stumbling into the Sabertooth mage and basically shedding all her problems to him, it almost made her want to turn her heels and run away from it all. Thankfully this time, the light dragon slayer held her down and made sure to see this whole ordeal through. Funny enough, she welcomed him into her apartment and insisted that the least she could do was offer a place to rest - a move that made her question if she was mentally stable.  
That morning, they had woken up at respectable times, eaten then dressed for the day that would be expected to be eventful. Patiently, Sting watched and waited for the blonde female to select an outfit before slipping into the bathroom to change.

Sting made sure that the celestial mage knew the ins and outs of their plan. It was simple really. But even the simplest plans could definitely go haywire so he had taken a lot of precautions. Whilst watching the female blonde smile unsurely at herself at the mirror, he sighed loudly, letting her know that she's taking too long admiring her reflection and they should get moving. He stood up from the couch and started making his way to the door,

"Come on Blondie, we don't have all day."

"Wait!" The celestial mage called out. Her brown eyes roamed over her figure once more. She had selected a dark olive dress shirt that curved at the hems, a black sash to keep it in place and to hold her keys and whips, she slipped on black combat boots and tied her hair in a high pony tail. With a last grin, she turned and locked the door for her apartment.

The walk to the guild hall started okay for the celestial mage. Besides the obvious fact that a Fairy Tail member was walking with a Sabertooth mage. Regardless, the streets were filled with friendly stall owners who offered their best produce to the two mages, complimenting the bright day and wishing them the best of luck for whatever they were about to do.

Halfway, the feeling in the pit of the celestial mage's stomach began to quiver. Her heart was pounding in full expectation of their dreaded destination. Sting noticed that his companion was started to get a bit sweaty, and yet he had directed them to walk under the shaded area of the streets.

"How you feeling, Blondie?" The light dragon slayer inquired, following behind the celestial mage who continued trudging despite her shaking legs,

"Like a lamb knowingly being led to the slaughter." Lucy replied dejectedly. As she took a step at a time, her mind began to throw wild scenarios into her head of how her reunion would turn out with the place she called home. Would they demand to fight her? Would she get pulled into the hustle of their usual fights? Or would they turn their backs on her and tell her to leave? Somehow, the last scenario didn't make sense. It was to the point that she chuckled mentally at the thought. At last, the pair stopped outside the doors of the guild. It didn't look any different from the last time she remembered - despite that it looked very worn out and some parts of the building looked like it was going to fall any second, she still felt the nostalgic feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Wow. Looks like three years had never passed." Lucy murmured. Gazing up with the tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. Sting watched from the corners of his eyes as the celestial mage quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand and adjusting her black sash.

"Okay. Let's do this!" Lucy pushed the doors open. The usual-loud rambunctious guild fell silent at the pair that entered the doors. Sting took note of the stares that were shot at him, but most importantly, they were filled with pity at the celestial mage beside him. Lucy scouted the guild and realized that Team Natsu wasn't there, a stab to her heart resonated deep within her. Should she say something? She should. She didn't think this through. She didn't think that it would turn out like this. Eventually, the strength in her legs made her knees weak and she wanted to just get the hell out of there.

"Lucy?" A blue-haired girl poked from the bar, accompanied with another white-haired barmaid and a iron dragon slayer. Recognizing the voice, Lucy trained her eyes on the bar and watched as a petite figure walk towards her. Once again, the tears pricked at the celestial mage's eyes and she dashed forwards,

"Levy-chan!"

"Lu-chan!"

"Lucy!" The guild chorused again. Sting watched with slight amusement as the entire guild members rushed over to her with tears in their eyes, laughter in their stomach and happiness swelling in the atmosphere for the blonde celestial mage.

After the excitement had passed, the pair decided to sit with Levy and Gajeel at the bar, with Mira wriggling her eyebrows every now and then.

"Where have you been all this time? It's like you disappeared in thin air!" Levy exclaimed in which Lucy sweat dropped. Well, that literally happened. She did disappear in the air, actually. Playing with the curve of her glass of orange juice, she turned to Levy,

"It doesn't matter. I'm back aren't I? I'm only back though, temporarily." This raised a few eyebrows, excluding the light dragon slayer.

"What does that even mean?" Gajeel asked, reaching forward for another helping of iron nails and steel bolts in his plate,

"I'm here with Sting for a job. That's our sole purpose of coming here actually." Shared looks were exchanged until they settled on the Sabertooth mage who sat next to Lucy.

"And why are you with her, if you don't mind me asking." Mira asked, whilst wiping down the wooden bench. It was so weird. Its just seemed out of place for their princess to be with a _different_ dragon slayer, from a different guild. Namely, a guild that made an enemy out of Fairy Tail during the Grand Magic Games.

"I just want to try something new. Go on a mission with Lucy seemed right. We're basically mates now." Sting said proudly, without noticing a blush coming from the celestial mage, a calculating pause from the barmaid and a raised eyebrow from the blue-haired bookworm,

"Why Lucy?" Gajeel questioned without showing any signs of surprise from Sting's statement. In fact, the iron dragon slayer was more concerned with the fact that the timing of the Sabertooth member and Bunny girl couldn't be any more wiser. His ears twitched. They were back.  
Lucy perked up at this question. That was actually a very good question. She didn't even realize herself that Gajeel was very calculative especially when it came to people he's very close with.

Sting grinned. "That's easy. Look at her." All four heads looked to the celestial mage, who unconsciously looked down and attempting to shrink herself through the bar. Sting squinted at the blushing blonde. Why was she red? Leaning down, he put his face close to the blushing mage. Was it just him or was she turning red like a sunburned tomato?

Suddenly, the air was filled with intense heat. Another person had slipped between Sting and Lucy. Recognizing the attire of the newcomer, the light dragon slayer smirked and leaned his elbow on the bar whilst resting his head on the propped elbow. This had definitely gotten interesting.

"Why _Luce_ "

With full blown confidence and a cocky smirk, the Sabertooth member felt his smirk widen. It only escalated knowing that Lucy was watching the entire scene before her unfold and shock was plastered across her face. He looked at intruder of their conversation. Sighing loudly, he stood up until he was head-to-head with his competition,

"Why not?"

There was a clenching of fists and the sound of teeth gritting. The Sabertooth member watched with amusement as the mage in front of him struggled to keep his anger in check.

Sting paused, finding the correct word to piss the already made individual in front of him. Ah. He remembered.

"What's wrong, **Salamander?** "

* * *

 **WOW. Is it bad that I'm slowly siding with Sting on this one? But don't worry guys, it's an eventual Nalu fanfic. Don't we all love the drama llama?**

 **If you noticed, I've only mentioned some members of FT because they are critical in this story.** **Hahaha.**

 **I will be releasing the next chapter on Sunday (likely).**

 **Thank you all for your love and support. It really does make a difference in my miserable life. (awks - that was kinda depressing).**

 **Lots of love,**

 **B7K**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys,**

 **Once again, thank you for the support. Thank you to the same person that had faithfully reviewed my work. I know you may get this a lot, but knowing that someone really did take the time out of their own busy schedules to compliment a total stranger. It really does mean the world to me. Thank you.**

 **Without further ado, chapter 3.**

* * *

Preview:

 _Sting paused, finding the correct word to piss the already mad individual in front of him. Ah. He remembered._

 _"What's wrong, **Salamander?** "_

* * *

A fist fueled with fire was aimed at the smiling Sabertooth member, punching him squarely on the face. The impact had sent the light dragon slayer back, going through the brick walls of the guild and slamming a nearby tree . Instantly, Lucy dashed outside from her seat to pluck the injured mage from the ground. At the same time, Gajeel and Levy detained the furious fire mage from advancing towards the blonde male on the ground.

"Control yourself, Natsu." Gajeel gritted his teeth. He transformed his arms into iron rods to firmly hold the fire dragon slayer in place. Levy also stood next to Gajeel, orders ready to be released if the pinkette manages to escape Gajeel's clutches.

"Let me go, Gajeel." Natsu hissed with anger. He couldn't believe it. He knew that Lucy was back. He waited in patience and hopes that she would finally come back to them. _To him. **.**_ But not with a Sabertooth member. As soon as he walked into Magnolia, he had caught a whiff of her. He literally threw his stuff at the ice-make mage and dashed back to the guild. Her scent was the strongest amongst the million people in the streets that as soon as he opened the guild doors, he saw her sitting down at the bar with Gajeel, Levy and Mira.  
Eventually, his eyes narrowed dangerously on the male who sat too close for comfort.

"Natsu, calm down." Levy commanded, hoping that the fire mage would realize that his anger was dominating the air, making the heat almost unbearable.

Lucy ignored the drama behind her and assisted Sting to sit up. No doubt, Natsu had landed a good spot on the light dragon slayer's face, catching a lip which bled down to his chin.

"You okay?"

The light dragon slayer spat blood from his mouth. "Never felt better. I've always wanted a greeting of nothing more than a punch to the face." The mage replied sarcastically.

Instantly, Lucy felt the anger within her boil up. The celestial mage turned her head to the raging pinkette and stood up,

"He had done nothing, why did you hit him?!" Her face went red with hot anger. How dare he. How dare he thinks that he could do anything that he felt like doing. Regardless of what he's doing or who he was hurting. Natsu turned his attention from the subject of his anger to the reason of his feelings,

"You really are selfish, Luce. Always thinking about yourself." He chuckled weakly, "You're always making decisions without me. Always keeping me out of the loop." At this point, Gajeel released the fire mage, who just stood at the same place without moving.

"That's a pathetic excuse to punch Sting!" Lucy retorted, her voice was shaking with anger and the tears were threatening to fall. Something snapped inside of Natsu. Just the thought of her, being all protective about the light dragon slayer, pissed him off. He took a couple of steps over to Lucy. At this point, Sting looked cautiously at the fire mage. He couldn't tell what the pinkette was planning.  
Gajeel watched the whole ordeal unfold. As of now, nearly every member in the guild had gathered outside to watch the fight that would soon pursue, especially after the first punch. The iron dragon-slayer gripped Levy back, in which she turned questioningly at him, but he shook his head in response.

 _Don't get_ _involved_

Lucy took one last breath before the fire mage was directly in front of her. His shadow towering over her. Taking a closer inspection, she noticed the tired, bloodshot eyes and the unruly hair that remained unkempt. She also took note of how his ragged breath struggled to work calmly.  
Natsu looked directly in her brown orbs. She had changed. She was no longer the girl that he saved back in Hargeon. She was no longer the girl that depended on him for support. The one that promised to be by his side. The one that everyone branded her as his. She was no longer his _Luce._

"Is this payback? For what I did to you?" Natsu whispered. Immediately, the memories flowed into the celestial mage and her heart began to hammer painfully in her chest.

"Are you getting back at me? For the hurt that I've put you through?" Sting clenched his fist. Was he really putting her on the spot? In front of everyone? What a bastard.

"I'm sorry Lucy. I didn't know that I was making you feel like that. I didn't know you felt like that. You should have said something." Lucy almost gasped. Slowly, she raised her head in confidence and fixed her hardened gaze on the pink-haired mage before her.

"Say something?," Her fists shook. "I tried Natsu. I tried to say something." This time, she pounded her fists onto his chest. "I've tried everything to talk to you. You were the one that kept pushing me away. You were the one that kept pushing me down. Pulling me apart until I was on my own."

Lucy stopped her arms and just rested them on the fire mage's chest. "I tried Natsu. Okay? I tried. You kept ignoring me until..." damn. The memories really hurt like hell. "...until **_that_** happened. But don't worry." The pinkette raised an eyebrow. _Don't worry?_

"You see, I've decided to move on. Not to stay behind in the past. I've decided long ago to cut ties with those closest to me. So that it won't happen again and I won't get hurt." Natsu watched as she took a step back. He realized her eyes were empty of emotion. Like a doll.

"So please stay the hell away from me, Natsu. And don't think anymore that things will go back to what it was before." Without showing a shed of feelings, the blonde woman turned, helped Sting up and walked directly pass the fire mage.

"You were gone for three years, Lucy! I had to live with the guilt for three years! I didn't know when you were coming. Or if you were even coming back. I swear I regret reacting the way I did every day, Luce. And living after that day was hell for me. It still is." There was a slight pause of footsteps. Regardless, Natsu looked down in shame and trained his eyes on the ground.

"You'd need to earn my trust Natsu." Eyes widened, his head shot up with a mix of shock and hope,

"But it won't be easy. That's all I can say now." And with that, the two walked back into the guild.

Leaving Sting at the bar, Lucy walked to the Quest Board, grabbed any request that seemed befitting and brought it to Mira, who was talking with the light dragon slayer. The celestial mage placed the paper onto the wooden bench and requested for this to be granted.

"Sure thing, Lucy." The white-haired mage replied enthusiastically, not wanting to dampen the foul mood. After receiving approval, the two left the guild without sparing at least a glance back.

* * *

A few minutes later, Mira smiled pitifully at the fire dragon slayer who sat at her bar, drinking his second serving of fire whiskey. The rest of Team Natsu had just arrived, of course with Gray being the first one to throw Natsu's belongings at the fire mage angrily before realizing that the flame brain didn't react at all. Erza ignored the entire thing since it wasn't causing any trouble. Happy had gone with Wendy and Carla at their house and Lisanna went straight home to unload her things.  
The fire mage sighed for the umpteenth time and by now, this didn't go unnoticed by the Take-over mage.

"Problems with life, Natsu?" Mira hummed quietly, after returning from giving a load of beer to Cana, who was drinking her way at the further corners of the bar. The teen shrugged in response and gripped his cup, slowly swirling the contents whilst peering inside.

"I don't know whats wrong with me, Mira." Natsu began, "It's no secret that I've broken what we had. But just seeing her with Sting just makes me so mad. It's like she's replacing me with that- that- idiot!" Natsu exclaimed dramatically. Mira smiled knowingly to herself.

"That's your answer, Natsu." The barmaid said softly. "That's exactly how she felt when you spent time with Lisanna and less with her. She felt like she was being replaced." Mira paused. It wasn't that she didn't want Lisanna with Natsu, but she knew that the fire and celestial mage loved each other and it would really be sad if neither of them didn't see it. Especially with the way things are.

"What should I do? I don't want this to continue. I just want her back and Sting out."

Mira chuckled, "Well... it's not like they would need your help on their mission." The said dragon slayer perked up, "Mission? They went on a mission? Together?!" The barmaid shrugged her shoulder in an innocent act of not knowing.

"I don't know. It's not like I knew that they are going to Mt. Hakobe to retrieve rare medicine for a family." There was a big grin plastered on the pink-haired teen. Feeling pumped, he quickly picked up his thrown belonging and rushed out of the guild, not before turning around at the front of the guild doors,

"Thanks Mira, I owe you one!" Before running off and slamming the doors in his wake due to his excitement. Curious looks were shot to the barmaid. Of course, the white-haired beauty was always up to no good. Feeling bold, the iron dragon slayer and his bookworm companion walked over to the takeover mage who was humming giddily to herself. Of course, the pair didn't miss the evil sparkle in her eyes.

"Where is the goofball going?" Gajeel thumbed over to the door. Slowly, Mira turned over to the dragon slayer who felt shivers run up his spine. She broke into a wide smile.

"I don't know." Mira said a little too innocently, "I wouldn't dare to tell him where Lucy and Sting were going to have their mission up on Mt. Hakobe," And with another innocent act of putting down her cloth and holding a thinking expression on her face.  
"He even looked excited."

"Mira!" Levy exclaimed. But the white-haired mage waved her hand to the blue-haired script mage,

"Oh come on, Levy! Wouldn't this be fun? The tension of two best friends? Of different genders? Doesn't this excite you in the least?" The take-over mage gushed, but the bookworm folded her arms.

"It's not the tension I'm worried about." Levy stated, looking around as her eyes settled on someone that just walked in.

"I'm more concerned with their feelings. There are some things that can be resolved. Like friendships." The blue-haired mage watched as the figure walked towards them.

"And there are some things that can't. Like the past. And the pain."

* * *

 **Wow.**

 **I've finally finished this story. I'm actually quite busy right now with work and school but I'll make sure to upload new chapters within a two-week deadline at the most.**

 **Any who** **\- I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as I did.**

 **Lots of love,**

 **B7K**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys,**

 **You know what - I'm a pathetic fuck. This has got to be the longest wait for this story and I'm very sorry that it has been a while. After getting my life back on track, I will be updating this story and the other two more frequently because I want to see these stories through.**

 **Thank you for your patience.**

 **Without further ado.**

Preview:

 _"I'm more concerned with their feelings. There are some things that can be resolved. Like friendships." The blue-haired mage watched as the figure walked towards them._

 _"And there are some things that can't. Like the past. And the pain."_

* * *

The journey towards Mt. Hakobe proved to be a handful. Lucy eyed the blonde dragon slayer with pity. Right now, they had caught a ride with a farmer and his trailer heading towards a nearby village. Using her charms, the blonde celestial mage managed to persuade the farmer to let them onto the trailer and to take them close enough. Without hesitation, the old man agreed.

"Pull yourself together, idiot." Lucy gritted her teeth. The said dragon slayer turned slowly to offer his admission of guilt but a sudden movement of the trailer resulted him to turn quickly outside and lurch over the wooden handles, emptying his stomach of his afternoon lunch.

Lucy felt the corner of her eyes twitch. There was no way in hell was she going to head over to him and soothe his pain. She already did that with the other fire dragon slayer and those days were long gone. A groan cut through her thoughts as the source turned to face her, using the cloth folded to wipe his mouth, a tired look was on his face despite the fact that he had his eyes closed. Feeling a bit guilty, the blonde celestial mage sighed exasperatedly before moving her way towards him.

"This will be the first and last time, I'm doing this." She told him, settling beside him and placing another cloth on top of her lap as a make-shift pillow. Without missing a beat, she looked at him,

"Lie down." This caused Sting to sputter in shock. A flush of red started creeping up his neck and he looked away. Mouth opened to form a string of words.

"Look Lucy, I don't-"

"Lie down, Sting." A hand reached up and grasped the blonde locks of the dragon slayer, who hissed at the sudden pain before shutting his mouth completely as she brought his head down to her lap, head facing towards her abdomen. Making an attempt to get up again, the celestial mage placed a hand on top of his head and firmly pressed down. She looked down at him with an annoyed face.

"I'm doing the both of us a favor here. Quit moving." Lucy demanded and slowly, the light mage settled fully into her lap. Taking in her scent and letting out a satisfied sigh. He slowly closed his eyes as the celestial mage massaged his head and ran soothing strokes through his hair.

"You don't have to do this, you know." Sting spoke softly. Immediately, he felt a tug on his locks and his electric blue eyes snapped angrily at the source of his pain,

"Woman-!"

"Just rest dammit. I need you to be on full throttle once we stop, just in case we run into something." Lucy said, letting go and rubbing soothing areas where she pulled his hair. With that said, the light dragon slayer eyed the blonde mage before turning his eyes to look at her flat abdomen. Without realizing that as the time passed, his eyes drooped slowly until he had completely shut them.

Lucy looked down at the sleeping male on her lap. His breathing was finally even as he took deep breaths whilst lying on her. He had unknowingly reached towards the blonde and gripped around her waist whilst he slept, shocking the celestial mage as he had pulled himself unconsciously closer to her and nuzzling deep into her abdomen and a deep hue of red had settled on her cheeks. A gust of wind pushed into the trailer and blew softly,

"Dammit."

* * *

"Have you seen a mage about this tall, blonde hair, with a curvy body around?" Natsu questioned the food vendor who just stared at the pink-haired wizard with a confused look. Finally getting the words to sink in, the vendor shook his head.

Natsu sighed for the umpteenth time that day. He was looking all over the place for his blonde partner and spent the entire morning, afternoon and early evening asking for her. Slowly, he made his way towards an empty area where a few people were huddled around. Settling on the nearest bench, he ignored the rumbling for food in his stomach and watched the crowd just a few distances across from the market, where he had stood.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew towards the pink-haired mage, and within this wind, he took a deep breath and immediately caught the scent that overlapped each other. With purpose, the fire mage quickly jumped to his feet and ran towards the source of where the he caught slight whiff of the scent that drove his determination.

A scent that he wasn't too happy with.

That scent smelt like Lucy and the Sabertooth mage.

* * *

The trailer stopped slowly as it neared a lone house. Immediately, the blonde woke from her small slumber and her brown orbs darted to their surroundings. It was slightly cold due to being close to Mt. Hakobe.

"Apologies miss, but this is the closest I can get you. There's a house over there with a small family in case you need a place to rest. Well-known for their hospitality to strangers." A voice called from the front. Quickly, the celestial mage shook the sleeping dragon slayer awake and pointed to the house,

"We're here." And they both jumped out of the trailer.

"Thank you!" The blonde girl called out, waving to the old man who waved back in response before trudging his trailer forward.

The house wasn't as small as Lucy envisioned, in fact, it was just the right size. Big enough to accommodate a family of two. It was definitely clean on the outside as the pathway looked like it had been freshly cleared and dug for weeds and sprouts.

"Not bad for a family that stays in the middle of nowhere." Sting said, also taking note of the surroundings of the place. He caught a scent of something being cooked and he turned to face the door. Lucy stepped beside him and gave a look to him before raising her hand to knock on the wooden door.

"You think someone's home?" She asked quietly, as they both waited outside the door.

"Probably not. Maybe the food inside is just cooking by itself." Sting replied with a light chuckle. The celestial mage glared at the light dragon slayer before they heard the sound of padding footsteps crossing the floorboard inside the house. With the last few seconds, they straightened themselves before the wooden door opened slightly, revealing a woman in her late forties with a gentle smile on her face.

"I wasn't expecting anyone during this time." The woman smiled, opening the door a bit wider. Lucy smiled warmly at the woman,

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion. We are mages from Fairy Tail, and we have received your request for assistance." The woman before her nodded and took a step to the side.

"Please come in and make yourselves at home. I've just started dinner but there is leftover sandwiches from lunch. Perhaps you can have some before we talk." The woman said as the two mages followed her inside. Sting viewed the interior of the house, taking note of its simplicity.

"My name is Mayu Okomi." The woman said, pulling together her brown hair into a low ponytail over her shoulder. She smiled warmly at the two mages. Walking towards the living room, she pointed to the mages to have a seat in front of a warm fire and a soft couch, before disappearing again and appearing with warm minks.

"You must be freezing from the cold." She commented, handing the minks to the two mages that settles on the couch. They offered her their thanks and she nodded in acknowledgement, settling down as well on the chair opposite of the mages.

"Thank you so much for coming. My husband, Tome, is upstairs, severely sick from an unknown disease. We have tried many practitioners and doctors, but no medicine or potions have worked. So I was the one who sent the request for assistance to Fairy Tail." She pointed to a picture frame that rested on the dressing tables. The picture showed a family of four, of course with the name husband and herself, along with two children.

"These are my children, Yuki and Rayu, they are also very sick. Both are aged seven. I've been looking around for anyone to help but they also have the same symptoms as my husband. I fear for their lives and right now, I am desperate enough to go to extra measures."

"Please don't worry. My partner and I will see to it that your family gets the ice." Lucy said, and Mayu turned to the blonde girl with shock and surprise.

"How do you know I was going to request for the ice? I hadn't even mentioned it on the request paper." Sting also turned to the blonde celestial mage and had the same questioning face as well. Is the girl physic or what?

Feeling the attention on her, the blonde mage shook her head and hands to the pressuring gaze.

"There was a request previously for the same ice. Same reasons too. So of course, I knew what you were asking for." Mayu smiled warmly at the blonde girl and her partner.

"Exactly. Then, I assume you know what this pen is for." Revealing a small white pen in her hand. The celestial mage nodded and retrieved it from the brown-haired woman.

"Yes. I used it on the last mission when we were asked to grab the ice."

"Thank you so much. I have already prepared a spare room upstairs if you are wanting to rest. If you are hungry, there are sandwiches on the kitchen table. Please help yourselves." The brown haired lady then excused herself to attend to the kitchen. Sting turned to the celestial mage who had a thoughtful look.

"What is it now?"

Lucy shook her head slowly. "I just need to figure out a way for us to escape. Once we're in, that's it. We need to find a route to get out." There was a brief moment of silence before Sting placed a hand on her shoulder,

"Don't worry about it. We'll figure out something as we go." Lucy slowly smiled at her companion.

"Yeah. I guess we can go with that."

The next morning, the two left early for the mountains. This time, the blonde summoner had prepared more than the last time she was on the mountain, with additional clothing, fire tools and food. Sting didn't look the least bit fazed by the cold, it seemed like the whole drop in temperature was another walk in the park. Tugging the warm coat closer to her body, the celestial mage gritted her teeth at the unfairness and trudged her way through the thick snow.

"So tell me more about this mountain." The dragon slayer said, walking in front of her to at least block some of the icy wind.

"There's nothing much. We just have to find a cave at the top, head in, find the ice and find a way out. Simple yet difficult." Lucy replied. Eyeing the mountain for any sort of opening. If her memory serves her correctly, there was an icy monster that attacked them after they successfully obtained the ice.

"Sounds straightforward." Sting replied, also taking a view of their surroundings. Immediately, the wind began to pick up and the chattering from behind him was started to sound more audible than before. With a thought, he was determined to find a cave to at least save the muttering coming from the celestial mage.

"There!"

* * *

"Of course, they've just left this morning to complete the mission. Is there anything wrong?" A woman at the door questioned, eyeing the pink-haired dragon slayer warily. She had just bid her byes to the two blondes that same morning and now this male was asking for Lucy.

"Nothing at all. I'm just looking for my partner. That's all." Mayu nodded. Understanding the situation, she pointed towards the way where Lucy and Sting trampled. Grinning widely and throwing in his thanks, the fire dragon slayer dashed off quickly.

Just the memory of his time in the mountains sent shivers down his spine. He was going to make things right with Lucy and take back what rightfully belongs to him.

* * *

Thoughts of Natsu encircled her mind and the blonde shook her head in an attempt to rid his image. But really, it was something that she would appreciate at the moment since it was so damn cold and the dragon slayer in front of her could only provide light – not heat.

"Are we close?" He questioned, following beside her and taking mental notes of how ridiculous the cave looked. After they had entered the cave earlier, true to Lucy's word, the opening closed and they were officially rooted inside.

"I'm not too sure." Came the response from the celestial mage. She grasped her jacket tight and continued walking.

"Why don't I just expand light inside here?" There was a moment of silence until Lucy threw her bag at the cursing light mage.

"Why didn't you think of that the first time?! We could've seen everything move before taking the first step!"

"Ow- woman, look – my bad. Geez." With a flow of magic, the light mage breathed slowly through his nose and muttered a form of magic words, instantly, the cave lit up brightly, reflecting off the light from it's itce and bouncing the light everywhere.

"That's much better." Lucy smiled, before the two continued walking.

It had been a few minutes later, or much longer, until they reached a glass wall. The sudden recognition brought a satisfied smile to the celestial mage who signaled for them to stop. Pulling off her bag and unzipping to reveal it's contents, Sting watched silently as the blonde girl worked carefully in retrieving the pen and carving out some of the ice,

"Be alert once I remove the ice." Lucy said softly, getting the laser hallway until slowly making it's way towards her starting point.

"Ready." The light dragon slayer spoke, fusing his magic into his body for any reactions. After slipping the ice and the pen into her bag, the cave began to shake violently. As if on cue, a roar echoed through the ice and its blood-curdling sound sent shivers down the two mage's spine.

Without a moment's notice, there was a ferocious bashing on ice and the monster that Lucy talked about appeared.

* * *

 **You know what - you can expect all my stories to be updated every saturday! Really. That's my promise to you all. The only emergency that would most definitely be excused is if something major happens that it completely out of my control. In reality, I just want my stories to finish so I can move to a much more ground-breaking story that I believe has much more _mooooreeee_ breakthroughs. So once I've finished my three piece, be on the lookout for my last story!**

 **Hint: SOF**

 **If you can get the hint from this, then you're amaZINNNGGG**

 **Lots of love,**

 **B7K**


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